The brother-in-law of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mohit Bharatiya was detained and then released by the Narcotics Control Bureau after it conducted a raid on a cruise ship off Mumbai on October 3 and seized drugs, claimed Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik on Saturday, reported India Today.
Mohit Bharatiya was earlier called Mohit Kamboj but he changed his name, according to Mint.
The case pertains to a Narcotics Control Bureau raid on October 3 during which eight people, including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, were detained. Khan and others were first sent to the central agency’s custody but remanded in judicial custody for 14 days on Thursday.
“Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede gave vague statements about the number of people detained after the raid,” Malik claimed at a press briefing on Saturday. “He said eight to 10 people were detained.... As per information with local police, 11 people were detained, but by morning the number came down to eight. Three people were let off.”
Malik claimed that those who were released are Rishabh Sachdev, Bharatiya’s brother-in-law, and two others, Pratik Gaba and Amir Furniturewala.
The NCP spokesperson had on Thursday alleged that a BJP leader’s relative had been detained and later released during the raids on October 3. However, Malik had not identified the BJP leader at the time.
Instead, he said that he would provide evidence for his claims the next day at a press conference. However, Malik moved the briefing to Saturday, saying that he was collecting more information “to expose the wrongdoings”.
On Wednesday, Malik had alleged that a BJP leader, Manish Bhanushali, and a private detective, KP Gosavi, were part of the central agency’s raid. The spokesperson had questioned whether the Narcotics Control Bureau has the authority to allow private citizens to participate in the raids or take their help for such operations.
He had also released two videos showing the purported involvement of the two men in the raid.
On Saturday, Malik provided a video in which Sachdev, Gaba and Furniturewala could allegedly be seen being taken inside the central agency’s office in Mumbai. But they were later released, according to Malik.
The NCP spokesperson also shared photos of Sachdev with Bharatiya and his family.
Scroll.in has not independently verified the veracity of the video and images.
Malik alleged that the raid was conducted to implicate Khan in the drug bust.
“This raid is all fake,” he claimed. “Nothing was found on Aryan Khan. Pratik Gaba and Amir Furniturewala brought him there to implicate him. Aryan Khan went there on an invitation by Gaba and Furniturewala.”
Malik claimed that BJP leaders from Maharashtra and Delhi made phone calls to release Sachdev, Gaba and Furniturewala. He demanded that the call records of these three persons should be released.
The NCP spokesperson also claimed that Gosavi was accused in multiple cases. “How can a person with criminal charges be a part of a government proceeding?” he asked.
Malik demanded that the anti narcotics cell of the Mumbai Police should conduct an investigation into the claims he has made, reported ANI.
The NCP leader also said he would write to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray about the matter. “If required, an enquiry commission should be set up to probe the raids,” he said.
Malik also alleged that the BJP was using the NCB for its personal agenda and to defame the state government and Bollywood.
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